... which means only one thing: Get ready for a meltdown next time out!
All kidding aside (am I kidding?), Cole was lights out last night on pretty much everything but one ball left up in the zone to Mike Morse that found its way into the seats. It was an impressive outing in what has been an impressive start to the season. A 4-1 record this early in the season is certainly something Cole isn't terribly used to. If we were to erase his first ugly start of the season, his peripheral stats would be up there among the best in the league, even rivaling those of Roy Halladay. Are we finally seeing the Cole Hamels of 2008 make a sustained run at it? Like I said above...let's give it one more start.
Showing posts with label Hamels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hamels. Show all posts
May 4, 2011
April 11, 2011
Jeckyll & Hyde: Cole Hamels
In all reality, the guy who took the mound on Sunday is the real Cole Hamels; the pedigree pitcher who was drafted in the first round in 2002 and who many expected to be a Phillies cornerstone for the next decade. He's shown flashes of dominance, and prolonged stretches of incredible effectiveness. But, for whatever reason, Cole Hamels' career has been prone to a monthly clunker that raises eyebrows and brings unwarranted questions...
It's an impossible task, even for the Roy Halladay's of the world, to step on the mound 33 games a year and not have at least one poor performance. Brett Myers' 31 game streak of 6+ IP last season is more remarkable than anyone really gave him credit for. On Sunday, Hamels had the kind of dominating stuff we were told we'd see day in and day out. He had it for all of 2008 and he had it most of last season. But it's the days like last Tuesday that make fans leery about him. Cole had 7 appearances of 4+ ER last season. Those starts were scattered pretty evenly throughout the season. Cliff Lee, on the other hand, had 10 such starts. His were grouped primarily in the middle of August.
Why then, are fans more receptive to Cliff Lee and willing to ignore his shortcomings (like his performance on Friday)? I have no answer. But with Cole Hamels, our problem is that we've seen the brilliance and the smattering of clunkers is unacceptable. When Cole performs badly, it's not because his mechanics are different, or he's nursing an injury. The Hyde to his Jeckyll only exists in the 6 inches between his ears. In 2008, he was cool, calm, and collected on the biggest stage. So why is it that he blows up in the 3rd inning of an April game against the lowly Mets? And then how does he bounce back so quickly against a much better Atlanta Braves team. Our problem with Cole Hamels is that we never know when the time-bomb is going to explode!
Cole Hamels catches grief in this town. Far too much, in my opinion. But it's only because he frustrates us to no end. He can be frustratingly good or frustratingly bad and you don't know until the 3rd or 4th inning which one it is. Will he hit 2 guys and misplay a bunt tonight? Will he strike out 10 and go 8 solid innings? In the end, we point to lack of run support as the reason why Cole doesn't rack up the wins and get the kind of recognition he probably deserves. But I can't but think that his lack of popularity amongst fans has more to do with our fear of getting let down by the monthly clunker. We'll see which Cole Hamels shows up on Saturday night vs. Florida.
It's an impossible task, even for the Roy Halladay's of the world, to step on the mound 33 games a year and not have at least one poor performance. Brett Myers' 31 game streak of 6+ IP last season is more remarkable than anyone really gave him credit for. On Sunday, Hamels had the kind of dominating stuff we were told we'd see day in and day out. He had it for all of 2008 and he had it most of last season. But it's the days like last Tuesday that make fans leery about him. Cole had 7 appearances of 4+ ER last season. Those starts were scattered pretty evenly throughout the season. Cliff Lee, on the other hand, had 10 such starts. His were grouped primarily in the middle of August.
Why then, are fans more receptive to Cliff Lee and willing to ignore his shortcomings (like his performance on Friday)? I have no answer. But with Cole Hamels, our problem is that we've seen the brilliance and the smattering of clunkers is unacceptable. When Cole performs badly, it's not because his mechanics are different, or he's nursing an injury. The Hyde to his Jeckyll only exists in the 6 inches between his ears. In 2008, he was cool, calm, and collected on the biggest stage. So why is it that he blows up in the 3rd inning of an April game against the lowly Mets? And then how does he bounce back so quickly against a much better Atlanta Braves team. Our problem with Cole Hamels is that we never know when the time-bomb is going to explode!
Cole Hamels catches grief in this town. Far too much, in my opinion. But it's only because he frustrates us to no end. He can be frustratingly good or frustratingly bad and you don't know until the 3rd or 4th inning which one it is. Will he hit 2 guys and misplay a bunt tonight? Will he strike out 10 and go 8 solid innings? In the end, we point to lack of run support as the reason why Cole doesn't rack up the wins and get the kind of recognition he probably deserves. But I can't but think that his lack of popularity amongst fans has more to do with our fear of getting let down by the monthly clunker. We'll see which Cole Hamels shows up on Saturday night vs. Florida.
April 6, 2011
On General Fan Misbehavior...
No one is above the boo. There's always a time and a place for it. Game #4 of the season isn't one of them. Cole Hamels had a very solid 2010 season, but even last year he had a few hiccups early on. Better that he get the 6ER in 2.2 innings performance out of the way now than wait until August. Cole Hamels knew he But of course, that didn't stop a good portion of 46,000+ from booing him last night.
The problem lies with a group of fans that I've dubbed "Children of the 700 Level." These are the kids who are in their late teens and early 20s who grew up listening to tales of brash behavior and urinating in sinks at Veterans Stadium from their dads and uncles. They're guys who hadn't been to the park before 2008. They're the voices you can hear asking stupid questions while barely paying attention to the game. They're the guys who refer to opposing players by number when heckling because they have no idea what their actual name is. They're the bratty kids who throw up children and run onto the field. Quite frankly, I'm sick of them giving me a bad name. In a week where a Giants fan was nearly beaten to death at Dodger stadium, there's a reason why Philly fans still hold the public persona of "worst fans." We do it to ourselves. There's a large population among us who perpetuate the stereotype on a nightly basis. The guys who scream obscenities from Ashburn Alley knowing full well that there are children right below them. The guys who nearly spend the GDP of Denmark on $7.50 Bud Lites each night stumbling down stairs and over their own words. Now all of us have thrown a few back and made some bad decisions while at sporting events, but the problem lies with those who do this on a nightly basis. These "fans" believe that they are carrying on a tradition of propper sports behavior. They think that the "Asssssssholllllllle" chant is a right of passage and that it's their duty to perform it. So the next time you scoff when someone says "You threw snowballs at Santa Claus and batteries at JD Drew," look to your left and to your right. Chances are someone around you is proud of that reputation and he's the one that drags down a whole fan base.
It's early in the year and you can bet that we're going to see our fair share of clunkers out of this team in 2011. It happens with every team. Some of the time, a boo is going to be deserved. But I urge the fans to hold back from anything further. I can guarantee that Cole Hamels was giving himself more than enough boos last night. Let's stay off the field for the rest of the year. Let's hold our liquor. Let's know when to censor ourselves around a mixed audience. There's a difference between honest passion and informed baseball banter. It's a new year and if we're ever going to change our reputation, let's start now! Turn your hat straight, pull up your pants, and enjoy some good old fashioned baseball.
The problem lies with a group of fans that I've dubbed "Children of the 700 Level." These are the kids who are in their late teens and early 20s who grew up listening to tales of brash behavior and urinating in sinks at Veterans Stadium from their dads and uncles. They're guys who hadn't been to the park before 2008. They're the voices you can hear asking stupid questions while barely paying attention to the game. They're the guys who refer to opposing players by number when heckling because they have no idea what their actual name is. They're the bratty kids who throw up children and run onto the field. Quite frankly, I'm sick of them giving me a bad name. In a week where a Giants fan was nearly beaten to death at Dodger stadium, there's a reason why Philly fans still hold the public persona of "worst fans." We do it to ourselves. There's a large population among us who perpetuate the stereotype on a nightly basis. The guys who scream obscenities from Ashburn Alley knowing full well that there are children right below them. The guys who nearly spend the GDP of Denmark on $7.50 Bud Lites each night stumbling down stairs and over their own words. Now all of us have thrown a few back and made some bad decisions while at sporting events, but the problem lies with those who do this on a nightly basis. These "fans" believe that they are carrying on a tradition of propper sports behavior. They think that the "Asssssssholllllllle" chant is a right of passage and that it's their duty to perform it. So the next time you scoff when someone says "You threw snowballs at Santa Claus and batteries at JD Drew," look to your left and to your right. Chances are someone around you is proud of that reputation and he's the one that drags down a whole fan base.
It's early in the year and you can bet that we're going to see our fair share of clunkers out of this team in 2011. It happens with every team. Some of the time, a boo is going to be deserved. But I urge the fans to hold back from anything further. I can guarantee that Cole Hamels was giving himself more than enough boos last night. Let's stay off the field for the rest of the year. Let's hold our liquor. Let's know when to censor ourselves around a mixed audience. There's a difference between honest passion and informed baseball banter. It's a new year and if we're ever going to change our reputation, let's start now! Turn your hat straight, pull up your pants, and enjoy some good old fashioned baseball.
View From The Seats... Game #4: Mets 7, Phillies 1.
First game review from the stadium of the year... and it was a hell of a night for us Green Plan-ers! After some ridiculous traffic due to a Sixers game, I got in the gates just minutes before game time. Extra Large McDonalds T-Shirt? Sure, why not. I grabbed a scorecard and his the seats. Section 145, row 4... home away from home!
- It was cold. I said that last week at the Exhibition Game, but this was a new kind of cold. Biting 30mph winds that made my thighs feel like ice cubes and my ankle socks were probably one of the worst decisions I've ever made.
- But unlike most people, I don't think that had much impact on the game. Cole Hamels got pinched early, but he was missing spots far too often to have a legitimate complaint. He drilled Pagan in the first after brushing him back a few times, and only showed command in his 9 pitch 2nd inning. The third is all on his shoulders for rushing his delivery and trying to speed up the game too much. The Mets were just not willing to swing at pitches outside of the strike zone. Hamels has this strange problem with recovering after a few mistakes. When he struggles early, you can pretty much chalk it up to the 1 out of 5 games where he throws a clunker. Now that this one is out of the way, I expect 4 consecutive Ws out of him! The one positive: Hamels' velocity seemed up around 95mph with the fastball.
- Chris Young wasn't particularly sharp either, but you wouldn't know that from the way the Phillies played him. He was tossing fastballs in the mid 80s right down the middle of the plate and the Phils were just straight missing the ball. It was embarrassing watching Shane hack at balls feet outside the zone. Still, he threw 103 pitches in 5.1 innings. He was just as far outside the zone as Hamels, only the Phillies weren't as patient. I don't know what it's like to see a 7' ogre throwing the ball downhill in your direction, but for all his size, his pitches didn't seem to have a lot on them.
- The wind was bad. During a food break in Ashburn Alley, i nearly watched my hoagie and full bottle of water go for a ride when I put them down to grab napkins. I've never seen it whip through there that badly. That said, I'm not sure that's the reason Ryan Howard's first inning bomb went foul or why Ben Francisco saw two balls get tracked down at the top of the wall. Still, I don't think it's good to be swinging for the fences in that kind of weather. The Mets got their job done with only one extra base hit.
- Raul Ibanez has a bit of a rag arm. Having a RF who is never going to throw someone out at the plate could lose the Phillies a game or two down the road this season.
- Shane Victorino takes the most ridiculous lines to balls hit his way. Watch him and you'll see that he always runs himself left or right for positioning and then forward or back for depth. I'll choke on a pretzel is I ever see him run to a spot.
- We're concerned over guys like Michael Martinez and Wilson Valdez in the field, but the Mets have 3 of them in their starting lineup. Brad Emaus, Scott Hairston, and Mike Nickeas
- Speak of the devil...Wilson Valdez grounded into a double play. I'll throw up $5 if anyone wants to take the under on 17.5 DPs for Exxon this year?
- Hold your breath... I'm about to give Jimmy Rollins credit! Of all the guys on the team, he definitely had the best ABs tonight. He worked counts pretty well and every ball he hit was hit hard. Plus, on a grounder to 2nd he ran the bases well trying to break up the 2nd baseman's play. He must read my blog for tips!
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